10/24 & 10/25: Chorus Austin Kicks Off its 62nd Season with 'Journeys'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Leah Rankin | Morahan Arts and Media
leah@morahanartsandmedia.com | 646-378-9386

CHORUS AUSTIN OPENS 2026-27 SEASON WITH 
JOURNEYS ON OCTOBER 24 & 25

Chorus Austin’s Chamber Ensemble Performs Works by Winners of the Chorus Austin
12th Annual Composer's Competition

“diverse, emotional, and harmonious” 
— The Daily Texan

www.ChorusAustin.org 

September 22, 2026 (Austin, TX) – Chorus Austin – the non-profit community-based organization dedicated to bringing great choral works to Austin and the Central Texas area, led by Artistic Director and Conductor Ryan Heller – kicks off its 62nd season with Journeys on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at First English Lutheran Church. The concert also marks the first season of award-winning pianist, innovator, and arts administrator Carla McElhaney’s position as new Executive Director of Chorus Austin.

Journeys sets the tone for Chorus Austin’s season, which is centered around the theme Songs for the Journey, featuring inspiring new works and beloved masterpieces to light the way on our shared journey. The concert presented by Chorus Austin’s Chamber Ensemble features works by the winners of the 12th Annual Composer's Competition, sponsored in part by a generous donation from John and Dixie Paulos, and is supported in part by the City of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment.

The Composer’s Competition Winners include: Joshua Maynard’s The Skipping Stone (Winner of the Young Composers Division) and Paul Winchester’s The Road Less Traveled By (Winner of the Open Division). Additionally, Martin Blessinger’s Sonnet 130 (Runner-Up of the Open Division) will be performed on the program, which explores various themes about the concept of journeys, including where a journey begins, the idea of journeying together, journeys into nature and into darkness, a heart’s journey, and the journey home.

The Composer's Competition includes two divisions – the Young Composer Division, for composers who are under 30 years old, and the Open Division. In addition to being featured on the Journeys program, the winner of each division will receive a cash prize and a live recording of their composition. 

Ahead of its official season opening in October, treble voices from Chorus Austin will join Ballet Austin for A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Friday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m at The Long Center. Magic and mischief take center stage in Stephen Mills’ enchanting reimagining of Shakespeare’s riotous comedy as confused lovers, mischievous fairies, and wayward spells collide beneath a moonlit forest canopy in this hilarious tale of romantic mayhem. Set to Mendelssohn’s richly expressive score played live by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Mills’ interpretation is a playful, visually lush celebration of love in all its charm in this clever, whimsical, and irresistibly entertaining production.

Chorus Austin’s 62nd Season is supported in part by the City of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment,

the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, KMFA 89.5, and Republic Print and Mail.

Program Information:
Journeys
Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
First English Lutheran Church | 3001 Whitis Ave | Austin, TX 78705
Link: https://www.chorusaustin.org/journeys-26#/productions-view

Program:
Works by the winners of Chorus Austin’s 12th Annual Composer's Competition
Joshua Maynard, The Skipping Stone (Winner of the Young Composers Division)
Paul Winchester, The Road Less Traveled By (Winner of the Open Division)
Martin Blessinger, Sonnet 130 (Runner-Up of the Open Division)

Plus additional works by Eric William Barnum and Jake Runestad. 

Artists:
Chorus Austin Chamber Ensemble
Ryan Heller, Artistic Director and Conductor

Martin Blessinger
Martin Blessinger is a Professor of Music Theory and Composition and Associate  Dean in the College of Fine Arts at Texas Christian University. He holds a D.M. in  Music Composition from Florida State University, where he was a University  Research Fellow, studying with Ladislav Kubik and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. He received undergraduate and master's degrees from Stony Brook University,  studying with Sheila Silver and Perry Goldstein. Prior to TCU, he worked as a  Lecturer in Music Theory at Ithaca College. 

His works have been performed around the world by professional and collegiate soloists and ensembles. In 2024-2025, Blessinger was a Gentling Fellow of the  Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and in 2026 he served as the Festival  Guest Composer of the Talis Festival & Academy in Sarajevo, Bosnia &  Herzegovina. In recognition of his artistic and pedagogical accomplishments,  Blessinger was a finalist for the 2024 TCU Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished  Achievement as a Teacher-Scholar, the university's highest faculty award. His music is published by Reed Music, ALRY Publications, and C. Alan  Publications and can be heard on Albany Records.  

Joshua Carter Maynard
Joshua Carter Maynard is a composer and conductor from Colorado Springs,  CO, who specializes in collaborations between choirs and living composers. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the University of Colorado Boulder,  along with certifications in music theory and music technology. Currently completing his Master’s in Choral Conducting as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the University of Oregon, Maynard draws his artistic inspiration from human stories and the natural world.  

In addition to producing nationally-awarded compositions in genres from choir and orchestra to electronics and jazz, Maynard was the founding president of CU’s  Renova New Music Ensemble and UO’s Novaire—two premier collegiate choral groups. An advocate for emerging artists, Maynard has conducted and had pieces performed by groups such as the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Choral Arts  Initiative, Nois Saxophone Quartet, Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble, the University of Wyoming Bel Canto Choir, the Mt. San Antonio College Chamber Singers, the  CU Boulder Chamber Singers, Lirios String Quartet, the Denver Playground  Ensemble, the Eklund Opera, and more.

As well as his time as a conductor-composer—having had his works performed on stages from Carnegie Hall to Taiwan—Maynard has experience as a producer and recording technician, an audio editor and mixing engineer, a private lesson instructor, a musical theater performer, and an ensemble administrator. He firmly believes that student-led enthusiasm begets musical excellence, and musical excellence inspires personal discovery.

Paul Winchester
Paul Winchester is an award-winning composer, performer, educator, and music director in Duluth, MN. 

Praised for “beautiful harmonic and melodic language,” Paul's work has been commissioned and performed by The Singers: Minnesota Choral Artists, The  Society for New Music, the Ohio Shakespeare Festival, the Wooster Symphony,  and numerous church and school choirs. Paul received his B. Mus in Composition from The College of Wooster and his M. Mus in Composition at Syracuse  University, where he was a Heaton Fellow and a recipient of the Brian Israel Award. 

As a performer, Paul performs regularly throughout the Twin Cities and Twin Ports areas in both studio and live settings as a singer and multi-instrumentalist. Paul has served as the Music Director for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka since 2014.

In addition to his music career, Paul is also a professional game developer, notably serving as lead designer and producer for most of the product line of Star Wars:  Imperial Assault, winner of the 2015 Board Game of the Year Origin Award. 

About Chorus Austin
Through its commitment to excellence, Chorus Austin creates passionate musical experiences that inspire community. A rich tradition of great choral music and modern musical innovations mark Chorus Austin, a non-profit community-based organization under the guidance of Artistic Director and Conductor Ryan Heller. 

Chorus Austin hosts a full season of six or more concerts annually, including large-scale productions by its 150-voice Symphonic Chorus and more intimate concerts by its Chamber Ensemble. This season, Chorus Austin celebrates 62 years of continuously providing the best in choral music to the Austin and Central Texas community. 

Founded as the Austin Civic Chorus as part of Austin’s City Parks and Recreation Department, “for all Austin-area residents who like to sing,” the group quickly incorporated as an independent organization. In 1999, the acclaimed Handel-Haydn Society joined with the Austin Civic Chorus under the umbrella of

Chorus Austin. A distinct part of the Chorus Austin history is encouraging new music. The group has commissioned a variety of new works, including the award-winning The Unutterable by internationally respected composer Robert Kyr. During the 2015/2016 season, Chorus Austin premiered two commissioned works: On a Winter’s Eve by West Coast composer Karen Thomas, and The Contemplations of Hafiz, a major, multi-movement composition for chorus, orchestra, and soloists by acclaimed Austin composer Donald Grantham. In 2014, Chorus Austin initiated its Young Composers Competition, showcasing works by rising young artists, and in 2023, garnered the organization's first-ever grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of the Tenth Anniversary of the concert sharing the work of these composers, Southwest Voices. 

Over the decades, as one of the oldest continuously performing music organizations in the area, Chorus Austin has amassed awards, accolades, and invitations, both nationally and on a local level. The group was honored in 2013 as the winner of the national Chorus America/ASCAP Alice Parker Award for programming recently composed music. The group was also a two-time national finalist for the prestigious American Prize. KMFA Classical 89.5 radio placed Chorus Austin as one of the Top 10 Classical Highlights of 2016 for its performance of the newly commissioned work The Contemplations of Hafiz. And in April 2017, Chorus America and the American Composers Forum awarded Chorus Austin and composer Joshua Fishbein the Dale Warland Singers Commission Award. 

Beyond the notes, Chorus Austin cares deeply for its community. Their commitment to equity and diversity was honored by the City of Austin last year by being awarded one of the city's first-ever ELEVATE grants.

Learn more at www.chorusaustin.org 

About Ryan Heller
Described as exciting, dynamic, and charismatic, Ryan Heller leads the award-winning Chorus Austin as Conductor and Artistic Director, having joined Austin’s vibrant classical music scene in 2009. Mr. Heller and Chorus Austin were honored in 2013 as winners of the national Chorus America/ASCAP Alice Parker Award, given to recognize a chorus for programming recently composed music. The group was also a two-time national finalist for the prestigious American Prize under Mr. Heller’s guidance. In 2012, Chorus Austin was named one of the Top 10 Classical Musical Treasures by Robert Faires of the Austin Chronicle. KMFA Classical 89.5 radio placed Chorus Austin as one of the Top 10 Classical Highlights of 2016 for its performance of the newly commissioned work The Contemplations of Hafiz. And in April 2017, Chorus America and the American Composers Forum awarded Chorus Austin and composer Joshua Fishbein the Dale Warland Singers Commission Award.

In 2008, Ryan Heller was nominated for a Portland, OR, Music Award as “Outstanding Classical Musician.” He has led ensembles across the United States with appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Chicago’s Symphony Hall. He has toured internationally in Italy, Germany, Estonia, Sweden, and in China, where he led combined choirs from Texas at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. Most recently, he guided Chorus Austin singers in a July 2016 concert tour through Scandinavia and the Baltic region. He served as Co-founder, Conductor, and Artistic Director of the Portland Vocal Consort, one of Portland, Oregon's premier professional choirs, and spent a decade as the Conductor/Artistic Director of the Southwest Washington Symphony. In 2001, he co-founded the Columbia Chorale of Oregon, which he led until 2010. From 2003 to 2018, he was the Director of the internationally acclaimed Pride of Portland Chorus. 

Today, in addition to leading Chorus Austin, he is the Music Director of the Christchurch City Chorus in Christchurch, New Zealand. Mr. Heller has been music director of a wide variety of productions throughout the West Coast, including the world premiere of the opera The Canticle of the Black Madonna in Portland. Other productions include Brigadoon, Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, Sweeney Todd, Annie, Company, and Into the Woods. 

As an active performer, he has appeared and/or recorded with groups such as Austin’s REVEL, 10 Chorus Austin '25-'26: Season of Unity, Portland Opera, William Hall MasterChorale, Choral Cross-Ties, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Capella Romana, Lakewood Theater Company, and the Broadway Rose Theater Company. 

Ryan Heller is in frequent demand as a conductor, singer, and coach. He has been hailed by critics and called “exciting, charismatic and intelligent–a young conductor to keep our eyes on.” Mr. Heller is thrilled to mark his 18th season leading Chorus Austin as the group celebrates its 62nd season. For this artist, it is about making great music with an outstanding ensemble and sharing it with Austin and the Central Texas community.

Photo at top of release provided by Chorus Austin

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